Monday, April 23, 2012

Beercation Part 2 - The Alchemist

Part II of our northern Vermont journey sees us heading straight for the town of
Waterbury. Here, one can visit two amazing places within short walking
distance. That’s the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream factory, and The Alchemist
Cannery.

After a
brief visit to Ben and Jerry’s to ingest creamy, fatty, deliciousness, we
waddled into The Alchemist. The Alchemist used to be known as a loved brewpub,
and it sat at a different location in town. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irene wasn’t kind to it. The storm blew through Waterbury and
flooded many businesses, including The Alchemist, which could not re-open in
its original state. (Note – The Alchemist’s original space is now open as
another pub called Prohibition Pig, run by different people).

Thankfully,
Jen and John Kimmch, owners of The Alchemist, previously began building a
cannery at a location spared by Irene’s wrath. Perfect timing. The cannery
opened days after Irene checked out of town.

The
Alchemist cannery is a modest building located on a quiet side street off of a
busy Rt 100. As you drive up to it, you’ll notice a tall, skinny, simple sign
at first that simply says “brewery.” This is where John Kimmch does just one
thing; brews his double IPA (DIPA) named Heady Topper.

The
facility has a small tasting room and retail shop where one can buy Heady
Topper in four-packs, though many people buy it by the case. This beer is
extremely popular among beer geeks, and after I had my first taste of it just
weeks before, I saw why. Heady Topper is not the most bitter or alcoholic DIPA
(8% ABV), but it offers serious layers of citric hop goodness with astounding
drinkability for the style.

It’s
interesting – if you were on a white-sand Caribbean beach, a stronger beer
style such as a DIPA is not typically the alcoholic drink you’d fancy, right?
Heady Topper disrupts this idea. Its hop flavors remind me of tropical vacations
with a touch of northern pine and raw tea leaves. If I could buy Heady Topper
on the next tropical beach I lay on, you would have a hard time convincing me
that life gets any better.

Heady Topper costs you $12.00 for a four pack of 16
oz. cans. Or, you can buy one can (if you’re lame) and pay $3.75.

That’s right, their beer comes in cans. Why? Cans are
an often misunderstood vessel in the beer world. They’re associated with
mass-produced, sub-par beer and craft brewers don’t often use them. But canned
craft beer is becoming a trend, and many beer enthusiasts argue that it’s a
more ideal way to package beer. Cans are said to better protect beer from
sunlight (beer’s enemy), and don’t leak oxygen as easy as bottles.

“Our state-of-the-art canning line allows us to
preserve and protect our beer against the impact of UV light and oxygen,”
states The Alchemist. “Our cans are environmentally friendly. They take less
energy to produce, ship, and recycle.”

One
last element to Heady Topper’s personality that’s worth mentioning is the claim
that’s written near the top of the can. The words “DRINK FROM THE CAN!” are
written in bold, capital letters. This goes against what almost every beer geek
practices and it causes debates.

Us
geeks always pour our beers in glasses to appreciate a beer’s appearance. This
allows the formation of head to occur which releases the beer’s aromatics. I’ve
come to enjoy this element of beer consumption just as much as tasting it. So
where does Heady Topper get off telling us to drink straight from the can
without letting it decant and develop in a proper glass? I don’t know, but I
love it. I drank it from the glass and I drank it from the can; when something
tastes so supremely good, it doesn’t matter how you consume it. And after the
debates subside, that’s something many beer fans can agree on.

After
visiting The Alchemist cannery, and skiing on slush for two sun-drenched days,
DBNE continued its brewery tour at a place that exhibits grandeur and Austrian charm - The Trapp Family Brewery.